Popular Jeep Cherokee Offers Turbo-diesel

The Jeep Cherokee entered the 1985 model year with a good reputation and sales figures from last year and an innovative optional turbocharged diesel engine for this year.

The four-wheel drive Cherokee was completely redesigned for the 1984 model year and apparently many four-wheeler fans thought the change was for the best. Not only was this Jeep selected as "4 X 4 of the Year" by three leading off-road magazines, but sales were up more than 50 percent over the previous year.

So, how do you follow up on an act this successful? It certainly will be difficult for American Motors Corp. to top those achievements this year, but that doesn't mean it isn't going to give it a try. The new turbo-diesel could help out considerably - both in this country and across the pond in Europe. AMC has begun marketing the Cherokee on the Continent and the turbo-diesel apparently was designed with this in mind. While the diesel market has been shrinking in the United States, it apparently has not in Europe.

But, with or without the diesel, the Cherokee is one of the most popular sports utility 4 X 4s, and there's no apparent reason why it won't continue to be.

The test vehicle - supplied by Shoemaker AMC/Jeep/Renault, Walbert Ave., South Whitehall - was an easy-to-drive, easy-to-take vehicle. With a wheelbase of 101.4 inches, length of 165.3 inches, width of 70.9 inches, height of 64.1 inches and curb weight of just under 3,000 pounds, it is easy to see that the Cherokee is not a large, bulky vehicle. But this was the whole purpose of last year's redesign.

The bulk was removed to improve fuel mileage. But the loss of weight and size also improved its driving ability. Now, no four-wheel, utility vehicle acts like a sports car, but the Cherokee certainly has a solid feel to it. What is interesting is that, despite its conventional four-wheel drive suspension - coil spring live axle with leading links and track bar up front and Hotchkiss-leaf springs in back - handling is responsive and the ride is much better than you might suspect.

The test vehicle's four-wheel driveline was the "Command-Trac" system. This system was introduced last year and features a part-time system with "shift-on-the-fly" capability. This means it can be shifted from two- wheel to four-wheel drive (or the other way around) at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. It's reliable and very simple to use. The optional system, "Select-Trac," is even simpler to use. For the first time, this full- time, four-wheel drive system has the "shift-on-the-fly" feature. One consideration, however, is that Select-Trac is available only with an automatic transmission.

Passenger and interior cargo space is abundant. In fact, this model offers about 90 percent of the interior room of the bigger Cherokee of two years ago. New this year are rocker/recliner front bucket seats, which have been adapted from the Jeep's smaller Franco-American cousin, the Renault Alliance. These pedestal-type, bio-formed seats move fore and aft on center tracks, and six- way adjustments can recline the seats or rock them into several pre-set positions. Drivers of all sizes and shapes should be able to get comfortable in these seats. The rear seat has plenty of leg room and can accommodate three adults. Storage room measures 35 cubic feet with the back seat in place and 71 cubic feet with the back seat folded. The back seat conveniently folds flush with the floor.

But let's move on to the turbo diesel. As mentioned, this is an enthusiast's engine. It measures 126 cubic inches (2.1 liters) and is rated at 85 horsepower at 3,750 rpm and 132 foot pounds torque at 2,750 rpm. This is a lot of power for a diesel engine of this size. But what is perhaps most impressive is that there is no lag in acceleration; you hit the pedal and it responds. To someone accustomed to a gasoline engine, this sounds like the way it should be. But diesels are different. Most normally aspirated diesels have a lag. This is also true of many turbocharged gasoline engines. But, somehow, when you put the two together that this is due to the relatively slow speed of the diesel engine itself, which requires the turbo to work full time.

This engine was developed by AMC's French partner, Renault, and is the first turbocharged diesel offered in a sports-utility vehicle in the United States. According to AMC, three key elements set this engine apart from similar engines: its aluminum construction (it only weighs 331 pounds), its intercooler and the fact that it employs an overhead cam.

The base diesel, without turbocharging, was introduced by Renault in the European R-18 in 1981. The same engine was also used in the Jeep CJ exported to France in 1982. The turbo version was introduced by Renault for its European R-20, R-30 and Fuego models in 1982 and extended to the European R-18 in 1984. So, even though it is new to United States this year, this engine has been tested and proven.